In Crimea Ukrainian activist Vinogradov and his mother-in-law are dismissed from their jobs due to the actions of the FSB

Andriy Vinogradov, an activist of the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in the Simferopol, and his mother-in-law were offered to “voluntarily” write a resignation letter after the search in their house, where the couple resides with their parents and young children.

As reported by Vinogradov to the Crimean Human Rights Group.

Andriy Vinogradov works in a private company “Platan”, which specializes in the sale of construction materials.

“My management immediately offered me to willingly write a resignation letter after they became aware of the search. They said that they have been already searched by the FSB in 2014 and then the work was paralyzed for two weeks. And now they (the management of the company, – ed.) don’t want to take the risks”, – said the Ukrainian.

According to the Vinogradov, the mother of his wife Natalya Kharchenko, who works as a chief accountant for the oil-and-gas company, also faces the risk of being dismissed.

“She was summoned today and made a condition. As they explained it was related to the security of the company”, – added the activist.

According to him, his mother-in-law told the colleagues about the search herself in the hope of sympathy. But at the same time she was offered to willingly write a letter of resignation.

Andriy Vinogradov added that after the search in his house another family of Crimeans, who have pro-Ukrainian convictions, received a phone call with threats.

“Even the relatives of our friends in Ukraine were called and told that they (friends) should leave the Crimea”, – added Andriy Vinogradov.

According to the Crimean, Natalya Kharchenko suffers from the chronic illness and is registering her disability at the current moment. Therefore, it is difficult for the family with two small children to leave the Crimea and move to the mainland Ukraine.

“My wife and I have left Crimea once and lived in the Dnipro, but when Natalya lapsed into illness it got even harder to pay for the rental housing and we returned home – in Simferopol”, – said Andriy Vinogradov.

As a reminder, on January 12, officers of the FSB have conducted a search in the Andriy Vinogradov’s and Natalya Kharchenko’s house, they seized office equipment and the couple was taken for the questioning by the FSB. According to the Crimean lawyer Edem Semedliaev, Natalya Kharchenko is under the preliminary investigation under the Art. 280 part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Public Appeals for a Forcible Change of Constitutional System of the Russian Federation, committed with the use of mass media).